


Aftermath to being distracted

by Lieju



Series: Distractions [2]
Category: Gaston (Bande Dessinée)
Genre: M/M, happens in the 70's belgium
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 11:58:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8012935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lieju/pseuds/Lieju
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prunelle is so far in the closet he is in danger of falling into Narnia and founding the first Narnian newspaper and saving the fantasy-land with his ace editorial skills. Gaston is just sort trying to figure things out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath to being distracted

 

”You are late, Gaston.”

 

”Mmh.”

His vague mumbling only made Prunelle more frustrated.

 

He wasn't sure why, but he was extra agitated today.

 

Of course, Demesmaeker was coming this afternoon, how could he have forgotten? He wasn't feeling like himself lately.

 

It was all Gaston's fault somehow.

 

He stared at Gaston.

Why did he have to dress like that? Showing that much skin? It wasn't appropriate. His eyes wandered to the bare skin between the jumper and jeans, he could almost see...

 

”Mr. Prunelle!”

 

”Mr. Demesmaeker!? We weren't expecting you yet!”

 

Unfortunately the man was already red with anger. ”I have seen quite enough, I saw what you were looking at!” The contracts were torn in pieces and thrown to Prunelle's face. ”Do you really think I'm willing to do business with someone like _you_?”

 

”I don't know what you are saying, maybe we can talk this over-”

 

”I have had enough. I _know_ what you were thinking when you looked at the office boy.”

 

All Prunelle could do was open and close his mouth, at loss for words.

 

As he watched Demesmaeker leave, he suddenly knew with an utmost certainty that _everyone_ knew.

 

”This is all your fault, Gaston!”

 

”Who cares, they were just some contracts.”

 

He didn't get it, he really didn't. Or was he _trying_ to make him angry?

 

Prunelle pushed him on the table. He was so angry he wanted to-

 

What the hell? Everyone already knew.

Prunelle kissed him.

 

Gaston didn't seem surprised in the slightest.

He had been waiting for this, Prunelle realized.

 

Well, he could do things to him that _would_ surprise him.

Things that would probably surprise himself as well, since he only had a vague idea that he wanted Gaston under him, and that there were certain noises he was going to get out of him-

 

Prunelle sat up in his bed, disoriented.

 

It had just been a nightmare.

 

He did his best to ignore his body that seemed to be of the opinion that no, it hadn't been a nightmare at all, and that it would like it very much had it continued.

 

When had it all began? Had it been in the 6th grade when his best friend had started to notice girls and he had been upset that they stopped spending time together?

 

Was this why any of his relationships with women hadn't gone anywhere? Or was this _attraction_ because he had ignored dating and his social life in favor of studying and working?

 

Had any of his friendships with other men been genuine, or just him pining for them?

 

Had what he had been thinking of as respect and admiration for Fantasio's journalistic skills been just sexual attraction?

 

Was the only reason he enjoyed Lebrac's company because in some subconscious level he wanted to-

 

Prunelle shook his head.

He couldn't start thinking that way.

 

It was just Gaston, if he just managed to avoid him for a while, he could ignore all of this and just focus on work and it would all go back to normal.

 

He might just as well give up on getting more sleep this night, though.

 

He was afraid he wouldn't be able to avoid him in his dreams.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Gaston, too, was having trouble sleeping. He hadn't been able to sleep a wink all day.

Just when he was finally about to drift to dreamland, he could hear the door, and was up, pretending to work.

 

However, to his disappointment, it was Lebrac.

”Lagaffe, I need some of the old issues of _Spirou_ for reference.”

 

”Ah, you can be the first to witness my new revolutionary filing system!”

 

”Does it have something to do with all those pieces of string that go to the archives?”

 

”Yeah. Why go and walk to the archives to search what you need,when all you need to do is to find a corresponding card here, and then pull the attached string, and voila! The right book will fly to you!” Gaston explained enthusiastically. He had been looking forward to showing his new invention to Prunelle, but he hadn't seen him for days.

 

Well, Lebrac could appreciate efficiency almost as much as Prunelle.

 

At the moment the artist seemed hesitant, however. ”You'd still need to find the right card from that pile.”

 

”Pfft, a minor detail. What did you need?”

 

”All the magazines from 1962.”

 

”Hm, I guess this... No, would you happen to need a book on Leech biology?”

 

”Never mind, Lagaffe, I'll go look for it myself.”

 

”Or the issue number 985, oh, I think I want to read this one.” Gaston pulled the string.

 

Accompanied by an explosion, something flew across the room, barely missing Lebrac. ”What was that!?”

 

”Ah, it seems I might have used too much gunpowder.”

 

”GUNPOWDER!?”

 

Before Gaston could explain, he had to take cover due to a 12-part encyclopedia set flying at him.

 

It all went even more downhill very quickly, the archive room doing it's best expression of a firework display, spewing books and papers out.

 

Finally it all quieted down, and Gaston and Lebrac ventured from their hiding place under the desk.

 

”It was all part of the 'books flying at you' idea!” Gaston explained. ”I just made a small mistake on the doze, and maybe books aren't as aerodynamic as I assumed!”

 

The display was gathering a crowd of onlookers by then, and finally, Gaston spotted Prunelle, at the back of the crowd.

 

He mentally braced himself, ready for the yelling.

 

Which never came.

 

After making sure the threat was over and no-one was hurt, the office workers went on their separate ways, but Prunelle was nowhere to be seen.

 

Odd.

 

* * *

 

”Heey, Prunelle!”

 

The editor didn't even turn to see the man who had barged in his office. ”What is it, Lagaffe, I'm busy.”

 

Gaston frowned. He didn't actually have anything in particular to show him.

Well, he could come up with something.

 

”Come and see what I taught Kitty to do!”

 

”Unless you have managed to teach your cat how to edit page layouts I'm not interested.”

 

It was like he was avoiding him on purpose.

 

Gaston grabbed his shoulder. ”Hey, Prunelle.”

 

He could feel the editor flinching. But this managed to get his attention, at least.

 

”What?”

 

Gaston couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something weird about his expression. It wasn't anger, not the normal kind anyway. ”I was just... Planning to do some chemistry experiments.”

 

He turned his back again. ”Fine. As long as you aren't getting in the way.”

 

* * *

 

 

Prunelle had almost declined when Lebrac had asked him out for some drinks after work.

 

But he couldn't start acting weird around everyone, out of some weird fear that he might start looking at other men he knew the same way he already looked at Gaston.

 

Although he had already caught himself staring at Lebrac, trying to figure out if he _did_ want to kiss him, even a little bit, and that kind of thinking wasn't good.

 

But going for drinks with Lebrac was, apart from office parties and writing a letter to his mother every two weeks, the extent of his social life, and he wasn't planning to lose it over whatever weird feelings he might be having over Gaston.

 

And he really needed to talk to someone.

 

Prunelle tried to think of a way to bring up the issue without arousing suspicion.

”So, I was going through the reader mail...”

 

”So you have given up on getting Lagaffe to do his work?”

 

Prunelle hesitated. It was true that he had been avoiding Lagaffe recently, instead of trying to push him to work. He'd have to try keep acting more normal.

 

”Well, I was going through the mail, and there were some suggestions. One reader wanted to see more articles on linguistics, there were complaints that the jokes about the police were inappropriate, someone was complaining we should have articles on homosexual rights, the usual.”

 

”That kind of stuff isn't really appropriate for a magazine like ours.”

 

Prunelle nodded. ”Of course not. But I was thinking of writing some light articles on linguistics. Something like comparing different dialects, maybe getting some humor out of misunderstandings between different-”

 

Lebrac sighed. ”You are just going to talk about work, aren't you? Well, do you want me to draw some illustrations for any of those things?”

 

”Some caricatures speaking in different dialects, maybe? Although, the magazine could tackle some

social issues in a more lighthearted manner.”

 

”Lagaffe certainly tries to do that. And Franquin.”

 

”Yes, but now that I think about it, it's probably best not to mess around with politics. Can you think of the letters we would get if we took a side in, let's say the matter of homosexual rights?”

 

Lebrac smiled. ”Almost makes me want to do it just to see that. Almost.”

 

”What kind of gag or story we could even do with that? Can't say I have ever really thought of the homosexual question. I don't think I've ever met anyone who was, you know a bit like...”

 

”Back in art-school, I used to know a few.”

 

”Really? What were they like?”

 

”Well, it was more or less an open secret these two guys were seeing each other. One of them was sort of effeminate but the other looked normal. You wouldn't have been able to tell, but last I heard of him he had settled down and married a woman, so who knows?”

 

”Hm.”

 

”Speaking of women and settling down, how about you?”

 

Rogntudjuu, what if he was suspecting something? Had he been obvious?

“Well, there _is_ someone...”

 

Lebrac smirked. “Tell me all about it.”

 

“She is...” Prunelle tried to think quickly. What kind of a woman would be a suitable girlfriend? What kind of woman he _should_ be interested in?

 

“She is intelligent, and well-educated, and work-oriented. And she... looks nice. It's not serious, actually we have barely talked.”

 

“But it was love at first sight? Where did you meet her?”

 

“In the same apartment building I live in.” He'd better make up an explanation as to why he'd never meet her if he happened to visit his apartment, and why this imaginary relationship would believably end. “She doesn't live there, she is helping her old aunt. She has this annoying yapping little dog she always has with her.”

 

There, a believable little detail that would make her sound more real and less like some ideal dream.

 

“It would never work.”

 

“Don't say that, you never know if you don't try!”

 

“Believe me, it wouldn't. She already has a boyfriend. A nice boy who works in the same place than her. She is a teacher.” He'd have to try to remember the details about all these imaginary people he was inventing. Not that Lebrac would probably remember tomorrow, he had been drinking more than him, and was looking pretty tipsy.

 

“And she is younger than me. Not underage or anything, but...” He said, confident that he wasn't revealing too much.

 

“Ooh, that's harsh. Sorry. Still, you might have a chance! Don't give up!” He waved his arms enthusiastically. “Want to go tell her how you feel right now? I'll come with you!”

 

“Thanks, but I'll deal with it myself.”

 

 

* * *

 

Gaston sneaked across the office, putting all of his stealth skills, accumulated over the years of avoiding work, to good use.

 

He had just concealed himself on top of the filing cabinet, when his target walked past.

 

Gaston followed Prunelle across the office, trying to figure out what it was he was doing that was so important he had no time to keep an eye on him.

 

Nothing out of the ordinary, it seemed.

 

He had talked to a bunch of different people, and was now sitting at his desk.

 

Bored, Gaston watched him type something, the noise of the typewriter lulling him into half-sleep.

 

It was like a machine-gun, going rat-tat-tat-tat...

 

Huge guns and tanks, firing pencils and books, trying to get to him.

Gaston pulled Miss Jeanne along the battlefield, trying to find cover. “They are all mad!” He told her. “We need to get to safety before they blow the whole world up!”

 

Suddenly earth shook, making them both stumble. “What is this? Do they have an earth-quake machine!?”

 

Gaston watched in horror as a great chasm opened, and a flood of mail started pouring from it like some kind of nightmarish volcano.

 

“Rogntudjuu, Gaston! What have you done with the mail?”

 

Gaston turned to Prunelle who was doing his best to drag a new bag of mail towards him to add to the flood.

 

“Prunelle, how can you think of mail at a time like this?”

 

He ignored the question, doing his best to wade through the mail towards Gaston. “Have you seen the file on the-”

 

Gaston took his hand. “No time for that, we need to hurry!” And with that he dived into the mail, dragging Prunelle with him.

They sunk into the ocean of paper, deeper and deeper.

Eventually the mail turned more solid, and they kept digging, eventually reaching an underground cavern.

 

“What is this place?” Prunelle asked.

 

“We'll be safe here.” Gaston assured him. “ We can let the war rage on top of the world, and wait here until it's all over. Let them drop the bombs, we will sleep here through the nuclear winter like a pair of hedgehogs in their nest.”

 

“Hm, I guess you were right to leave the mail as it was.” Prunelle admitted.

 

“Of course. Come here, together we'll be warm and cozy.”

 

The unopened mail made for a soft bed, and they curled up on it together.

 

Gaston hugged the other man, wanting to get closer to that warmth. Kissing him felt like the natural next step, and Prunelle didn't seem to mind at all.

 

Gaston couldn't help a giggle when Prunelle reached for his earlobe and planted kisses on it. And was he purring?

 

The next thing he knew he fell from his hiding place on top of the filing cabinet.

 

* * *

 

 

Prunelle was just going through the layout, trying to decide if anyone would notice if they reused a comic from 1954 to fill up space, when his train of thought was interrupted by a body falling from on top of a cabinet, accompanied by an annoyed cat and a confused 'Mmhuh?'.

 

“Rogntudju, Gaston! What are you doing? How long have you been there!?”

 

“Mmhuh? It was all your fault. Why did you lick my ear?”

 

Prunelle paled. What was he making up now? What if someone heard? “Shut up, Lagaffe! Get out of my room. And take your cat with you!”

 

This couldn't go on.

 

* * *

 

Gaston sat in his room, absentmindedly staring at the mountain of mail, thinking back to his dream.

 

It had been going pretty nicely, up until he had fallen off the cabinet...

 

Prunelle, though. Gaston couldn't figure him out.

 

He decided to talk to someone, and reached for the phone.

”Jules, I want to ask you something.”

 

”Shoot.”

 

”What if someone kisses you, and then acts all weird afterwards? Doesn't want to talk about it but doesn't act the way they used to either?”

 

”Aah, you Romeo! Who is it? Miss Jeanne?”

 

”No, it's-”

 

”Someone hot?”

 

Gaston considered the question. ”Yes. But I don't know what is going on now.”

 

”It's typical female psychology,” Jules informed him. ”They send mixed messages, come on to you and then push you away. Maybe your breath smells?”

 

”I really don't think _that's_ the case here. And are female and male minds really that different?”

If that was the case, Jules probably couldn't help him since he had no experience in dating guys.

 

Of course he _was_ a guy. ”So, what if _you_ kissed someone, and they kissed back, and then you'd be mad and weird at them?”

 

”Gaston, do you like this girl?”

 

”It's not a girl.”

 

”Whatever, a woman, a _mademoiselle_ , a proper lady. Do you like them? Do you want it to go further?”

 

Gaston wasn't sure he had an answer to that.

 

So he decided to be organized and efficient, that's what Prunelle was always telling him, and if he was trying to figure _him_ out, that would be the way to go, right?

 

So he made a list of all the positive and negative things about Prunelle.

 

-yells a lot

-is a smoker.

It hadn't been too bad at first, thinking back to their kiss, but when he had tasted the inside of his mouth out of curiosity, it had been like licking an ashtray.

-Rogntudju

 

On other hand:

\+ would probably yell less if they'd kiss more (and maybe that had been why he had been yelling at him all these years?)

\+ Is Prunelle.

 

After some thought Gaston added 'rogntudju' on the list of positives as well.

 

Well, that seemed like a reliable scientific result.

* * *

 

 

“Hey, Prunelle. Do you want to come and eat lunch in my room? I made cod and strawberry-filled croissants!”

 

“I'm leaving.” It wasn't the way Prunelle had planned to break the news, but might as well get it over quickly. And he'd rather avoid those croissants. It was best to just end everything quickly.

 

“So, when are you coming back?”

 

“I'm not. I was offered the job of an editor-in-chief in a local newspaper.” He didn't mention this had happened a while back, and that he had initially refused, at least partly due to what he now recognised as an attachment to Gaston. But they were still looking for a successor for the old editor-in-chief who was planning his retirement, and had been very interested in hiring him.

 

“Fantasio visits every now and then, even though he no longer works here.” Gaston reminded him.

 

“Hm.”

 

Prunelle hated to admit it, but he felt slightly disappointed when Gaston didn't try to convince him not to leave beyond that.

 

Well, it seemed like he had some sense.

 

* * *

 

 

However, the first thing next morning Gaston stepped into Prunelle's office, dragging a large sack after him.

 

“Lagaffe, what are you-”

 

It turned out the sack was filled with letters, which were all dumped on his desk.

 

“Lagaffe, I'm busy, if you think I'll do _your_ job as well...”

 

“Nonono. All these letters came in this morning, all saying the same thing. Go on, open one!”

 

Prunelle picked one at random. “Dear Mr. Prunelle, please don't leave your job. The magazine just won't be the same without you.”

 

“All these readers are horrified and certain the quality of the magazine will plummet if you leave! You wouldn't do that to all these poor fans of your work?”

 

“I think I recognise the handwriting on this one...” He picked up one other letter from the pile.

 

It confirmed his suspicions. “This is clearly written by the same person! Even the wording is almost identical!”

 

“Well, obviously some readers were so passionate about it they wrote twice.”

 

“Uh-huh. And you're saying that if I open the rest of these, I won't find that all of the letters have the same handwriting that strongly resembles a drunken spider?”

 

Gaston pouted.“What happened to 'this is not my job?'”

 

“Gaston, did you stay up all night writing these?”

 

“Well, I thought it would help. That reminds me, make sure I'll get paid overtime for it.”

 

“Gaston, I'll be frank with you. This is a great opportunity for me. I've enjoyed working here, but it's time to move on. I'm 34, and it feels like my career here isn't about to go anywhere-”

 

Gaston hugged him.

Prunelle stood as still as he could, both wanting this moment to go on forever and for it to end as quickly as possible.

He breathed in the smells of the other human; wool, cat, some chemical smells and things he couldn't identify making up something completely unique.

 

He felt the hug was being too one-sided, and reached his other hand around Gaston, carefully avoiding bare skin, settling to putting his hand on Gaston's shoulder.

 

Encouraged by this, Gaston planted a soft kiss on his cheek, Prunelle turned his head, and they ended up in an awkward kiss.

 

It took a second for Prunelle to come to his senses, and he broke the kiss, slowly and carefully this time, staying close to the other body. “Are you insane? This is a horrible idea!”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why, he asks! What if someone finds out? Aren't you bothered at all by how this is... Unnatural?”

 

Gaston shrugged. “I don't see why.”

 

There had been times before when Prunelle had envied Gaston, but never as much as this moment. He had been panicking over this for weeks, barely sleeping, while Gaston just nonchalantly accepted whatever happened.

 

“But, but, what about Miss Jeanne!? Aren't you dating?”

 

“Oh, I like her.” Gaston blushed. “But not the same way as I like you.”

 

It felt somehow relieving seeing the younger man have some kind of reaction to this, and Prunelle couldn't help feeling some satisfaction over being the person to cause him to blush that way.

 

“This is a really horrible idea.”

 

“It can't be, I had it.”

 

That really didn't make Prunelle feel better. “No-one will know about this, you understand?”

 

“If you say so.”

 

“And when it comes to our working relationship, nothing will change.”

 

Gaston kissed him again. “I have some terms too.”

 

“Mmmh?” Prunelle hoped they'd be sensible, he had a feeling he'd agree to anything.

 

“You lay off the pipe.”

 

“Only if you stop cooking at the office.”

 

“I think we need to continue these negotiations. For an undetermined amount of time.”

 

“Sounds great.”

 


End file.
